Social Responsibility: INJAZ Entrepreneurs Have It Down to an Art
Through creativity and handcraft, young Omani women win the regional title of JA Company of the Year.
Given the Middle East’s vigorous oil production,
it may seem counterintuitive that its young people are exploring ways to decrease dependence on
fossil fuels. However, a JA student company run
by six Omani eleventh-grade girls did just that—
and in the process, was named the region’s
JA Company of the Year.
As part of their participation in JA Company Program—in which student-run enterprises devise, produce and market a product while trying to realize dividends for their shareholders—the students founded “Al Anamel Al Mubdiah.” The name of the company means “creativity and handcraft,” specializing in the manufacture of 100-percent biodegradable and fully recyclable decorative products.
The six Omani girls who comprised the board of directors of Al Anamel Al Mubdiah learned from their chemistry teacher how to recycle the remains of palm trees burned by local farmers. The girls crushed the leaves and applied a chemical compound to create the paper from which their products were made.
Competitions such as the JA Student Company of the Year event help strengthen the partnership among education and private-sector enterprises, in addition to increasing students’ career readiness and promoting the culture of entrepreneurship. The competition required the students to produce an annual report, participate in a trade fair to promote their product, and pitch their company to a panel of judges comprised of business leaders from Citi, HSBC, the Young Presidents Organization and Bank of New York Mellon. Not only did the Omani girls win the event, but their chief executive was named CEO of the Year.
Commenting upon why the Omani student company was chosen from among 11 others in the region, Shabib Al Ma’mari, Executive Director of JA/INJAZ Oman, noted that the girls’ company stood out for its “commitment to corporate social responsibility, had an environmentally friendly focus, created a detailed business plan, and had both analyzed and addressed needs in the local market.” Regional Director Soraya Salti added, “This year’s competition was a testament to the innovative spirit and determination of our young people as they applied
the skills from INJAZ’s Company Program.”
While INJAZ—as Junior Achievement is known in the Middle East—has only had a presence in Oman for three years, it experienced 189-percent student growth last year. Currently, the focus of INJAZ’s efforts is on providing students with work-readiness and entrepreneurship education to position them to effectively compete in the global economy. Two-thirds of INJAZ Oman’s students participate in JA Company Program or other INJAZ entrepreneurship-education initiatives. The Sultanate of Oman may not be well-known in other parts of the world, but is noteworthy for being one of the first countries to embrace Islam during the Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime, and is the site of the oldest known human settlement, dating back to the Stone Age.
In a country closely associated with the dawn of civilization, JA students are looking towards the future with confidence, and are learning how to apply innovative thinking to business challenges whose solutions will have far-reaching benefits.
INJAZ—Junior Achievement Wins Global Social Entrepreneurship Award
INJAZ-al-Arab received a 2009 Skoll Foundation Award for Social Entrepreneurship, along with a three-year grant of $765,000, for the positive impact that Junior Achievement has had on youth in the Middle East. Soraya Salti, the innovative senior vice president of INJAZ-al-Arab, accepted the award at the Skoll World Forum held at England’s Oxford University. “We need to inspire and prepare young Arabs to succeed in a global economy. Every person who has ‘made it’ owes it to the next generation to go back and lift them up with his or her skills,” said Salti in her speech.
To access more of Salti’s remarks, watch the video below, or visit YouTube.
